The story of the A. Lange & Söhne 25th anniversary set is now well known: slated for October launch, the set will comprise 10 different Lange 1 watches, all clad in the same blue and silver livery. One watch has been announced a month since the start of the year, and the latest addition is the Grand Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”.

First introduced in 2003, the Grand Lange 1 was initially criticised for meddling with an iconic design. It has since matured well, helped by several redesigns as well as a movement conceived specifically for the watch.

Grand Lange 1 25th Anniversary

Bigger and better

It’s the larger brother of the Lange 1, with a case diameter that’s 2.5mm larger; making it 41mm compared to 38.5mm for the classic Lange 1. But because the movement inside was designed to fit the watch, it scales up the design while adhering strictly to the proportions and geometry of the original Lange 1.

The new movement was required to accommodate the signature, off-centre displays of the Lange 1, which sit on a neat grid. The cal. L095.1 is 34.1mm, compared to the 30.4mm of the first generation Lange 1 movement, the L901.0.

An upside of the larger movement is the consolidation of the twin barrels of the smaller Lange 1 into a single, larger barrel, while still maintaining the 72-hour power reserve. That leads to a small but crucial difference on the dial of the Grand Lange 1: the lettering at seven o’clock reads “Gangreserve 72 Stunden”, German for “72 hours of power reserve”, instead of “doppelfederhaus,” or “double mainspring barrel”, found on the original Lange 1.

Commemorative colours

For the Grand Lange 1 “25th Anniversary,” the blue and silver colours are repeated once more. The dial of the watch is solid silver, with blued steel hands and printed blue markings.

Like the entry-level Lange 1 “25th Anniversary,” the dial’s empty sections are recessed and given a frosted finish in contrast to the raised sections which are lighter in colour.

The two-tone dial

Visible through the sapphire case back is the hand-wound cal. L095.1. The movement is finished in typical Lange fashion, with the most prominent being the striping across the German silver three-quarter plate.

Cal. 095.1

Like the other anniversary watches in the set, the engraving on the balance cock is filled with dark blue lacquer, and also includes a “25” that replicates Lange’s oversized date display.

The 25th anniversary balance cock

Key facts

Diameter: 41mm
Height: 8.8mm
Material: 18k white gold

Movement: Manual-winding cal. L095.1
Frequency: 21,600bph, or 3Hz
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Hand-stitched blue alligator leather, with white-gold prong buckle

Price and availability

The Grand Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” (ref. 117.066) is priced at €43,700, including 20% German VAT. It is a limited edition of 25 watches, which will be part of the 10-piece set that will be officially launched in October 2019.